Here’s a cliche question: What would you choose to eat if you only had about 50 meals left to eat in your life? That’s only 18 days of breakfast, lunch, and supper. Suzanne is facing that exact question before surgery on the 23rd. After that, it’s questionable whether she may ever eat solid foods again.

When her surgeon told her to enjoy life on February 4th, food and lots of variation have been on her plate. This is the first food by mouth she has had since before Thanksgiving so Suzanne’s choices started off pretty soft. Additionally, her jaw wasn’t prepared to chew and her appetite was small.

Noodle soup, Scrambled eggs, refried beans, and oatmeal all fit the bill for those first few meals. It’s tough to get enough calories from any of those items so we would supplement her diet through her feeding tube.

Missing her recipe testing for America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country, she decided to tackle a Cheese Gnocchi recipe she recently was sent. Suzanne enjoyed the process of cooking and then the ability to eat what she cooked. Just what the doctor ordered.

This past week, she has really stepped up her game. Mac & Cheese, Hamburger-Rice Casarole; Shrimp Alfredo, Lasagna, and even some french bread. As a reminder, she lost some of her salivary glands during radiation so breads, crackers, and the like are hard to eat as there is nothing to soften them up.

Last night, Suzanne had sausage with biscuits & gravy, and a plate full I might add. Unfortunately, today was just a clear liquid diet day in preparation for her colonoscopy tomorrow.

Friday, good friends are bringing supper which leaves just two more evening meals. Some lofty goals are set for those final days, pizza and fried chicken, and not just any fried chicken but Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Monday afternoon we will be off to Chicago. Maybe we will find something unusual for that last night. No matter what, she has been living these days to the fullest and choosing what seems to be right for her.

Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.
Job 34:4